When designer Kathy Israel first sits down with a client, her top priority is getting a clear picture of how the family lives before devising a plan that fits their lifestyle and day-to-day needs. As owner and principal of the award-winning Accent on Cabinets Design Group, whose client list stretches nationwide, she passionately believes that the little things can turn an ordinary project into something spectacular.

    Delivering a cleverly modern, crisp redesign to a mid-century kitchen in Sappington allows utmost efficiency in its confined space, verifies Chelsea Smith, founder and principal interior designer of Chelsea Design Company. “I’d dreamed of ways I wanted my home to better function for my family of four. I’d even envisioned details. But I had no idea how to make that happen,” recalls homeowner Sara Hellwege. “Chelsea and her assistant, Christopher, made the picture in my mind come to life. What’s more, they helped me refine my vision and added things I hadn’t even considered.”

Organizing spaces on the smaller side can seem daunting. That was how the homeowners, a married couple, of this Town and Country home felt when they first purchased their small house in 2016. “We knew it would be a lot of work,” says the wife. “There was no pantry, the laundry room was small and there wasn’t any storage in the kitchen. We loved the property and footprint of the house, but we knew we’d need some help.”

A painting of an octopus twists its way up a wall and across a soffit in the kitchen of a Central West End home, reflecting the homeowners’ unique design style.

    The homeowners asked local artist Phil Jarvis to create the sea creature. “I thought it would be interesting to put some kind of mural there,” the homeowner says. “The reason we chose an octopus was because I wanted it to have movement, and also wanted it to be kind of unexpected.”

Accent on Cabinets was challenged to create a kosher kitchen for their client, which typically needs more space because Kosher requires you to keep meat and dairy separate. The original kitchen was approximately 250 square feet, but the designer more than doubled the space. A scullery was added to meet the demanding needs of Kosher guidelines and accommodate large family gatherings. A wall from the kithcen to the family room was knocked down, and the powder room was moved to a different location.

Castle Design created a timeless white palette mixed with subtle hints of black in this kitchen remodel. To infuse an element of excitement the designer chose to incorporate black for an instant dash of chic. The beautiful quartz material seen throughout the room provides a range of soft black veining that adds pattern and visual interest. The mixed metal custom range hood is the focal point of the kitchen and features steel-and-brass details. Edgy brass counter stools at the island continue the brass look. Above the island hang two glass globe pendants from Savoy House.